Health Benefits of Dandelions

Oct 19, 2018

All homeowners know the difficulty in controlling the spread of dandelions across your perfectly landscaped lawn. However, what is often lost in this battle is the incredible health benefits that dandelions provide, so when you yank these unwanted guests from your backyard, consider turning these adversaries into a key ally in your pursuit of healthy living.

This article will describe some of the amazing properties of dandelions which can be used as a low cost way to promote good health.

Background on Dandelions

Dandelions, also known officially as Taxaxacum officinale, is a relative of the sunflower, daisy and chamomile. There are more than 150 known useful species of dandelions, which reproduce quickly and grow in temperate climates.

Different parts of the dandelion plant have been used by Native Americans, Chinese, and Europeans for herbal medicines and teas used to treat various ailments. There are various ways to ingest the nutritional value found in dandelions, such as drinking dandelion tea, wine, or smoothies, using the leaves as salad greens, grinding into a pesto sauce, or used as a healthy ingredient in your next smoothie.

Health Benefits of Dandelions

Not only are dandelions low in calories, but it is rich in fiber and carbohydrates. Additionally, it is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, Vitamin C, luteolin, among many other nutrients and minerals. This section will highlight some of the amazing health benefits provided by the dandelion plant.

Strengthens Bones

Dandelions offer incredible benefits to your bones, and can easily be consumed through dandelion tea. An added bonus is that as you get older (which we all do!), bones lose density which results in the weakening of bones and joints. This discomfort prevents many from enjoying activities they enjoy and hinders one’s quality of life.

Drinking dandelion tea can assist in keeping your bones strong and healthy, and improve the daily functioning of the human body, which results in a better quality of life as we get older.

Furthermore, dandelions are an excellent source of antioxidants, which suggest it may be effective in preventing signs of aging of the skin, such as sagging skin, wrinkles, and age spots. Importantly, dandelions can be used for treating skin disorders without the accompany side effects attributed to many pharmaceutical treatments.

In addition to the many conditions mentioned above, dandelion (specifically dandelion juice) is an effective remedy for acne. Dandelion juice is a natural stimulant, diuretic, and detoxifier.

These properties can help regulate the secretion of important hormones, increase perspiration, and widen the pores of the skin. The result of these important functions is more effective removal of toxins from the body through sweating and urination.

An added bonus of dandelions is that it can help reduce the signs of acne as well. Dandelion sap applied externally can inhibit microbial infection and reduce the signs of acne. It also helps to heal the skin as a result of its Vitamin C content, so acne scars, redness and inflammation will be greatly improved.

Reduces the Risk of Cancer

A growing body of research suggests that dandelions may be an effective method for preventing the onset of cancer. In addition, experiments have shown that dandelions have been effective at destroying cancer cells without affecting healthy cells, an amazing potential improvement over current treatments.

Dandelion extracts contain large amounts of antioxidants (such as vitamin C and luteolin) that eliminate free radicals in the body. This, in turn, reduces the risk of cancer developing in the body. In addition, dandelions inhibit the development of tumors due to the detoxifying properties of vitamin C. Recent research has shown luteolin damages critical components of cancer cells, resulting in these cancer cells being unable to reproduce and spread throughout the body.

Detoxifies the Body

It is important to detoxify your body, especially your liver and kidneys. Your liver plays an important role in warding off illnesses by removing potentially harmful materials from your body. In order to ensure that your liver effectively prevents chronic diseases from developing, it is important to regularly clean the toxins that are stored in your liver.

Dandelion tea is diuretic in nature, which helps remove toxins, chemicals, fat, and excessive salts from your body. Dandelions are so effective at inducing urination that its name in French (pissenlit) translates in English as “wet the bed.”

Helps with Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis

Not all cholesterol is bad for your body. It is used to make hormones, vitamin D as well as compounds that assist in the digestion of food. Some kinds of cholesterol have been linked to atherosclerosis, which is when your arteries become narrow due to the buildup of cholesterol deposits. Studies have shown that dandelion leaves and roots can be used to prevent atherosclerosis, as well as increasing the kinds of cholesterol that your body actually needs.

Dandelions have some pretty amazing health benefits for the body. Next time you curse this “weed” for ruining your beautiful landscaped backyard, remember that dandelions can also be used to promote good health. And not to mention, dandelion tea and dandelions used as salad greens taste really good. So why not be a half-full kind of person and take advantage of nature's incredible gift?! HelpMEHemp.org offers our dandelion hemp protein blend.